Please Remember This Warm and Friendly Night
——Toast Proposal at the Interethnic Leadership Conference Banquet

Yang, Jian-li

October 4, 2000

Dear Friends,

Good evening.

It is now three days into our conference. We have had three days’ of heated discussion, and what has been achieved is already exceeding our expectation. Nevertheless, tonight I would like to repeat once more the two important reasons why we are gathered here. First, there are still serious issues between us, many of which very difficult to resolve. That’s why we need to get together to identify these issues and search for resolutions. Second, but more importantly, our futures are closely tied together, and we together make a common entity of fate. That’s why we need to get together to plan our common future.

Some people may ask, at this age of advanced media and communication, why do we need to get together to communicate face to face? There is an old Chinese saying that says “meeting brings affection.” In a sense, we are gathered here for such affection. I believe that this affection will be a positive factor in our common cause of dissolving hostility and creating a common future.

The atmosphere tonight is very warm and harmonious, and people are taking each other’s pictures in different groups. Please do safely keep these pictures. In the unfortunate event when we have to go into conflict, especially when we have to resort to arms, please get out these pictures and take a look, and that may help us turn hostility into friendship. Dear friends, please remember this warm and friendly night.

Finally, please allow me to propose a toast to the achievement of freedom by all the nationalities under the rule of the Chinese Communist Party, to the health of everybody here and your families, and to our bright common future!

Thank you all.